The Ugly Duckling's Redemption Story

  Staring at Lu Xiangsheng's receding back, Li Luer grasped her fist tightly, trying to control herself, not letting tears fall, and not chasing after him! The moment Lu Xiangsheng got into the car, her thoughts completely collapsed. "Lu Xiangsheng, don't go, okay? Can you not leave me..."

  But all of this was quickly engulfed in the howling north wind...

  The car drove further and further away, also rapidly increasing the distance between Xuan Sheng and Luo Er. Until the car completely disappeared from view, Luo Er sat weakly in the snow, closing his eyes tightly, trying hard to forget this devilish young master who had left him and the past bits and pieces. Tears that wouldn't stop wetted his down jacket, also wetting that fragile, closed-off heart.

  Xinjiang - Hami - Corps Agricultural Thirteenth Division:

  A village built a long time ago, with a neat layout, earth walls, and red-brick houses, like a village in the city, or a small town in the village. Outsiders call this place a village, but locals don't call it that, because this is Xinjiang, this is the Corps, and people here still call this place - First Company.

  Night, silence! The moon's smile is reflected in the starry sky. The soft light of the stars shines on an ordinary small courtyard.

  There were only four rooms in the courtyard, one was a hall, which was both wide and long, two were bedrooms, and there was also a small kitchen under a trellis entwined with lush grapevines.

  There are three people in this family, an ordinary and simple mother and two clever children. The mother's name is Li Jinyun. Her elegant appearance makes one know that she was not lacking in suitors when she was young. Now, to make a living for the two children, every day, she leaves home ten kilometers away from the city center to wash dishes in a medium-sized restaurant.

  Her two children both followed their mother's surname, her daughter was named Li Luoer, a kind and cheerful modern girl. Her son, Li Chao, was also a talented person who cared about others, but they never mentioned their father, no one knew why? Maybe it was because nobody wanted to touch this sensitive topic!

  It was past eleven, and the small village was exceptionally quiet, with only the occasional cricket chirping to disturb people's beautiful dreams. "It's time to go to sleep." Luo'er looked at the clock on the wall, tidied up her desk, and then lay down on the large and cool wooden bed. Looking out of the window, she saw the twinkling stars, but in her heart, there was always some anxiety and unease. Next week, school would start!

  This should be a happy thing, but Lí Luòér is now complaining that the heavens have arranged the time so tightly. She doesn't like the start of school, and can even say she dislikes it. The feeling is really strange, so strange that she can't even explain her own thoughts. The only reason she can find is probably because there's no father to rely on at home.

  Every time school starts, it's always the expensive textbook fees, miscellaneous fees, or simply put, those 100-yuan bills that don't know how much of their mother's sweat and blood were exchanged for. It's these money problems that make this small family, which has experienced many hardships, bow its head again because they really can't afford the tuition!

  How she yearned for the day when going to school would be a joyful thing, and not a burden on her mother who rose early and worked late. She also believed that waiving tuition fees was only a matter of time, but it wouldn't be now. She wanted to go to school, she loved learning, and she believed that only through education could she change everything, and only through education could she find back the father she had almost forgotten, prove to him that abandoning her, her brother, and their mother was a wrong choice.

  Fate may be unfair like this, she comforted herself again and again.

  Li Luo is already in her third year of high school, and there's only one more year left. As long as she puts in a bit more effort, she can leave this remote mountain village behind and head to the big city. With her own hard work and sweat, she can carve out her own place in the world. After that, she can bring her mom and little brother with her! Let them no longer suffer here, and go live a so-called good life in the big city. This is a very beautiful dream, but this dream is really, really far away from her...

  With this reality that can't even afford tuition fees unresolved, what capital is there to discuss the future or think about afterwards?

  Like this, Luo Er tossed and turned on the bed, thinking wildly, gradually putting aside all worries and anxieties, falling asleep quietly, but not sleeping soundly.

  A faint light seeped in through the gap under the door, perhaps because Mother had forgotten to turn off the lights in the main room when she was helping Brother clean up. Normally, Mother wouldn't have forgotten, because electricity prices had recently gone up sharply.

  It was because of that faint light that Luo Er opened her eyes again, and she didn't know if it was the effect of self-suggestion or the light being too bright in the dark night, but her heart became more and more chaotic. She randomly grabbed a piece of clothing and got up to turn off the light, but instead heard her mother and brother talking in the living room.

  "Chao, you really don't want to go?" Her mother's tone was calm, but her face twitched.

  Luo Er's heart skipped a beat, she was about to turn around and leave, but instead continued listening. What she never expected was that her younger brother Lei Chao's attitude was even calmer, as if this were an established fact.

  "Hmm, I don't want to attend school anymore. To be honest, my studies aren't that great and I'm only supposed to start high school now. For someone like me, it's enough to just graduate from junior high and then go out into society to find a job. In the future, when getting married, no one will care about your academic background anyway." Lei Chao scratched his head, his face turning red.

  But my sister is different, she studies well and is eager to make progress, and in just another year, she'll be taking the university entrance exams. Can't give up now, that would be such a waste! Our family has two kids, it's enough to raise one of them, others won't laugh at us or anything."

  "Actually, mom wants to support both you and your sister so that you can finish school, but our family's current situation is really tough and we can't afford it. So we can only support one of you for now. Since you mentioned it first, let's gather all the money we can and let your sister go first! Tomorrow night I'll go out and borrow some more, as long as we have enough money, you'll also have to go. This is something that can't be delayed, mom just has this one wish, hoping that you and your sister will study hard, get into a good university, find a good partner, and live a peaceful life. If there's an opportunity, go to the big city and explore, see the world outside, don't be like me, I've always wanted to visit Tiananmen but haven't had the chance yet, waiting for you both to settle down, then mom will also fulfill her own wishes."

  Luo Er couldn't control her emotions and burst into loud sobs at the door, while Li Chao pulled his mother to hurry over. When they saw Luo Er, both of them were at a loss for what to do. Luo Er didn't know if she was too heartbroken or too ashamed, but she couldn't get up for a while. Li Chao carried her into the house without saying a word from start to finish.

  Luo'er gazed at her mother's gradually aging back and her younger brother's still slightly childish face. Suddenly, she felt that she was so selfish! So selfish.

  The whole family hugged each other tightly, comforting each other. Perhaps due to exhaustion, Luo Er and Li Chao gradually fell asleep. Their mother looked at her two sensible children, and tears flowed down again.